Stumbles a little but still a fantastic summer tentpole flick.
You know the story: four explorers travel to space, got bathed in cosmic rays and return with superpowers. The brains of the operation, Reed Richards (played by Pedro Pascal) developed stretching abilities; Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) has telekinesis and is able to turn things invisible; Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) has pyrokinesis and can control and be engulfed in flames; and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), now sporting a rocky exterior and is crazy-strong.
Based in New York, the team—now known as the Fantastic Four—is the earth's sole protectors. But when an extraterrestrial being threatens the planet, the Fantastic Four may have to come to terms that this might be a situation they cannot salvage.
The Fantastic Four franchise is often seen as a case study about how a studio can sit on an IP, as long as something is made out of it. In 1986, Constantin Film bought the film rights to the comic book series, Fantastic Four, and, in order to retain the rights, had Roger Corman film a low-budget adaptation that was never released. Constantin Film then sub-license it to Fox Studios that produced the Fantastic Four movie (2005) and its sequel (2007); both were not critical darlings. A reboot was released in 2015 and that had even more unfavourable reviews. Eventually, Disney acquired Fox, attained the Fantastic Four rights and passed it on to Marvel Studios.
You'll be glad to hear that under director Matt Shakman (who directed WandaVision) knocked it out of the park with Fantastic Four: First Steps... if the ballpark is reduced. But! Despite the low bar set by previous itinerations of the IP, this is the best Fantastic Four film ever.
It's a fun escape into the Silver Age comic book world where life was simpler. The film is set in the 1960s and on another earth, and it allows for many of its fantastical aspects to be believable. Bad guys' schemes are thwarted; the team is universally beloved... we get a sense that everything is hunky-dory. Is racism solved? Is there world peace? Maybe? But the signs certainly lean towards something ideal, hopeful.
The retro-futurism is strong in this movie. A flying car that still uses a seatbelt to attach a child's seat? An advance robot that still records on reel-to-reel tapes? Oh, the anachronism! It's fascinating to see an MCU movie deviate from their usual glossy aesthetic, action-laden plotting playbook. Visual-wise, you won't be disappointed by First Steps.
Chemistry is also evident in this film. They picked the right people for an ensemble film—Pascal and Kirby form the emotional core as new parents who have to deal with new parent issues and to grapple with being saviours to the entire world. I prefer the camaraderie between Quinn and Moss-Bachrach as the Human Torch and the Thing, respectively. Their relationship in the comic books are usually along the lines of "relax-it's-a-joke", which was brought to live in the 2005 and 2007 adaptations but for Shakman's version, the barbs exchanged don't border on hurtful and there's an affection to the ribbing.
Natasha Lyonne is in this and it's... unexpected. It's not a diss. Lyonne is not playing a unique character that's integral to the plot but with her role, gone are Lyonne's signature cigarette voice and wild hair. She's playing—dare I say it—normal and that's refreshing to see.
It started out a little bland. Minimal action and a lot of exposition; we don't see the battles with their rivals—it's only talked about. And because Marvel's First Family is portrayed as a group that do no wrong, the picture of perfection is... boring. It was about 20 minutes in when Pascal and Kirby got into an argument with each other that it started to get interesting.
We don't get to see John Malkovich's role as the Red Ghost in the final edit, so that sucks. But it's understandable given how the movie was almost struggling with the dynamics of a four-person team, a baby, two antagonists, a supporting cast, and so on.
In certain scenes, the CGI is a little off. Especially when it comes to the baby, the Fantastic Four's latest addition to the fold. At least, they mixed it in with the presence of an actual baby. And can we call for more accuracy in pregnancy and giving birth? Kirby still looks resplendent as an expectant mother and the birthing scene is... a little out there. Oh, you want her to push? Even when she's not fully dilated? Why do you want to hurt the mother?
As with every superhero film, stick around post-credit for it but what I want people to look out for is the credit given to Jack Kirby, the co-creator of the Fantastic Four. And Captain America. And the Hulk. And Ant-Man. And the X-Men. And Iron Man. Everybody only knows about Stan Lee, who came up with the idea of said heroes but no one ever bothers to credit the other dude who gives them the visuals.
Fantastic Four: First Steps is now out in theatres.
